Never give up, always move on for AvatarKataang
by Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty
Summary: For those of you who have noticed AvatarKataang gone, please read this story. He has been very sad these days, and I really want my old friend to be back. Please, you can even email him, because I've never seen him so depressed before. Thank you very much


This is for my friend AvatarKataang, since he has been feeling down lately. A lot of you may have noticed that he has stopped updating, and I don't blame him. In conclusion, I am writing a short story for him, and I hope that he cheers up, because not only do I miss his stories, I miss his old self also.

School isn't going too well for him, and after he asked a girl he liked to the dance (politely turned down), he's been glum and depressed. When I ask him what was the matter, he would always say "nothing", and smile. I thought that he would get over it, but although he seems to be in a better mood, he is still different than the friend I once had, cheerful and fun to hang out with.

Mike and Brain own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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"Aang, wake up!"

Groaning slowly, Aang slowly rose from his dream, the same dream he had for the past couple of months, and dizzily went over to Sokka, who was making breakfast. Aang sat down, said thanks as Sokka gave him some food, and took a small bite. He gagged in his mouth, but Sokka, oblivious, asked him a question, the same question he had asked Aang for the last year or so.

"What do you want to do today?"

Aang quickly swallowed, then, using the same reply he had used for the last year, said "Nothing."

"C'mon, Aang, I think we should go visit Katara and Toph today. I'm sure Toph and Katara miss… you." His voice slowly faded away at the last word.

"I'm not going. You can take Appa. I'll stay here until you return. I'll be fine by myself."

Sighing, Sokka reluctantly put down his piece of meat and sat down next to Aang, already knowing what was on his mind.

"Aang, you have to learn that not everything goes the way you expected. Sometimes something you're sure would happen doesn't, and sometimes something you're sure wouldn't happen does. Its part of life, and just like me and Katara losing our mother, you have to move on. Just think of all the fun things you used to do in the past, when you were happy and cheerful. Remember that once you pretended to put a snake inside my sleeping bag, and another time you actually _did_ put a snake in my sleeping bag? I was angry, but then afterwards we just laughed ourselves silly, you, me, Katara, and Toph."

"I know how it feels to face the truth, something that you didn't want to believe. Remember Yue? I didn't want to believe that she… passed away, but I had to face the truth and move on. That's what you have to do, you have to move on."

"So how 'bout it, Aang. Let's go to see Toph and Katara. What do you say?"

Sokka put an arm around Aang, and gave him a light hug. Aang's lips formed into a tiny and unnoticeable smile.

"Okay."

Momo, sensing Aang's ever so slightly lifted spirits, climbed onto Aang's shoulder and purred.

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_Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap_

Sokka thought that these sounds of knocks on the door could only make Aang more nervous. However, he saw that Aang wasn't nervous. He was scared. Scared of facing Katara.

_Creeeeaak_

This sound made Aang jump a little, the sound of the door opening.

"Hey Snoozles. Hey Twinkle Toes. Long time no see." This was said by none other than Toph.

"Hey, Toph, mind if we come in? We were just passing by and Aang thought that we should visit you guys."

Toph 'looked' at the ground. "He did, huh?" Her feet barely adjusted, but Sokka had seen the movement, and realized that Toph still had her enhanced powers… and her ability to detect lies.

"Oh alright, I wanted Aang to visit you guys..." Sokka didn't have to finish the sentence, but both of them knew what he was going to say: _Katara especially._

"So, are you two going to stand here all day or are you going to come in?" She walked inside the house, and the two boys followed. With a wave of her hands, Toph closed the door from ten feet away. It shut with a loud _slam_, and Sokka knew that she did that on purpose, so Katara would know they were here.

Apparently, the door slamming worked. Katara, wiping some speak out of her eyebrows, suddenly made a great smile and ran over to hug Sokka, while looking like she didn't even know Aang was here.

"Katara- ok, that's enough- Kata- you're- breaking- my- spiiineee" He let out the last word like a whine, apparently in pain. She quickly released him, and quickly muttered a quick "sorry".

After a short while of stretching, Sokka finally recovered and said, "Katara, Aang wanted to see you too."

As if just realizing he was here, Katara turned to a red-faced Aang, and gave him a short hug. "How have you been, Aang?"

Aang, unable to find the words, simply replied "Hi…", which made a curious Katara raise her eyebrows, and cast a quick glance at Sokka. He simply made a face which said in return: _You'll know later._

Everything went fine, as Katara showed the boys around the small house, and because Aang and Sokka had arrived in the late afternoon, it was time for dinner. Dinner was good, as Sokka, Katara, and Toph laughed and ate and drank, while talking about their past, when they were traveling together. Aang, however, just fiddled with his spoon, a blank expression on his face.

After dinner, they all decided that Sokka and Aang should rest, since they flew almost all day. As Sokka washed up, he knew that something was going to happen that night, good or bad, between Aang and Katara. He decided to let the spirits see to that, and yelled good-night as he went to sleep in the all-too comfortable bed set up by Katara.

That night, as Sokka had predicted, Aang couldn't sleep. Apparently, Katara couldn't either, as he decided to take a walk outside, and found Katara sitting in the backyard, a small lantern beside her, illuminating the nighttime darkness. She was looking at the ground, but somehow she heard him, because she said, "You couldn't sleep either, Aang?"

"Yeah… what kept you up?"

Sighing, she replied, "Stuff."

As of instinct, Aang moved forward and sat down on the rock beside Katara. Not one part of him agreed to that act, and yet something told him that it was the right thing to do. Careful to keep his tone steady and unintruding, he said, "You want to talk about it?" Something like this was ordinarily said by the other person, but this time Aang felt that it was the right, and only, thing to say. However, not hearing a reply, he decided to speak what he had been afraid to say for a year, to anyone, especially her.

"I've been thinking about what happened after the war, about my…confession to you." Not caring if Katara was actually listening or not, but hoping that she was, he continued. "Sokka told me today that I had to move on, but I just couldn't stand the pain inside of me. It pierced through me unlike any fireblast or waterwhip I had ever been dealt, and that day, I found out that it was better to not love than to love at all. But… I just couldn't stop loving you. I don't want to, because if I stop then the pain inside me would cease, but I just can't. Over the last year I've learned that love is something that you can't control. It is natural, and it is a part of life, and so is rejection, as Sokka told me.

"After the cave, I felt something stronger than ever. Although we didn't actually kiss, I felt that spiritual connection between us get closer and closer, but… I guess we just weren't _meant to be_. (A.N., AvatarKataang, I know that reminds you of a story you have)"

Finally, Katara decided to speak up. "After Toph bended this house up, I've always imagined living with a man in a house, just me and him, having a happy and peaceful life, with a little pond and a garden for me to enjoy and relax in. I've always been waiting for the perfect man to appear, but now I'm realizing that there is no such thing as a perfect man. I've always wanted to love, to love someone and be loved back. The truth is, I've been waiting for you to visit me for a very long time. I miss the times when we waterbended, the times we made fun of Sokka, and the moments we spend under the stars at night, simply just talking. I miss everything, Aang, but most of all I miss _you_. And now I realize that the man I've been waiting for was with me the whole time, from the beginning of our journey until now. Although he may not be perfect, I love him just the way he is, and I don't want anything to change." She glanced up at Aang and made a small smile, and slowly tears began to slowly stream down her face.

Aang used his finger to gently wipe her tears away, and for the first time in a long time, felt how smooth Katara's skin was. Suddenly, he smiled.

"You look more beautiful than ever." Aang whispered. Katara simply wrapped her arms around him, and gently hugged him, tears still streaming down her face. Aang wrapped his arms around her in return, and the two hugged each other until the lantern burned out, and the two slept, side by side, under the dancing stars.

Aang had learned one lesson that day: love is not something you want to abandon, and when something goes wrong, move on, but never stop hoping. For maybe, just maybe, one day, you just might love all over again.

_Fin_

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I know that you are still reading the stories on this website, and if you read this, I just want you to know, along with your friends, your family, and your readers, that we miss you and want your old self to come back. I am sure your mom and dad will be very happy to see the old you, and so will I.

Review, not for the sake of the story, but for the sake of my friend. He has gone through much, and I hope that you can cheer him up by telling him how much he means to us. You can even email him to cheer him up, not just review. I am sure that one day he will get better, and one day your kindness may return to you. I am sure that he will really appreciate it.


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